About Pulling Together

The Kiwanis breakfast meeting program this Saturday, March 29, 2025 is “Pulling Together,” a community plan to teach invasive plant management and other restoration strategies in Weston.

Pulling Together members Lisa Brodlie, Sarah Hutchison, and Mike Aikenhead will discuss the volunteer group’s work. The group aims to educate neighbors and show them how to respect existing wetlands, identify and remove invasive plants, and encourages the use of native plants to decrease soil erosion, improve wildlife habitat, and protect water quality.

Pulling Together partners with Lachat Farm and Weston Public Schools to host invasive removal workshops. In five years, they have accomplished more than 1,200 hours of invasive removal work on town property.

The Speakers

Lisa Brodlie

Lisa Brodlie is a retired registered nurse with a botanical background and an interest in invasive plants. Lisa has been a member of the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group since its inception and now serves on the steering committee, outreach and education committee, and most recently, the advisory board for the invasive plant certificate program.

Lisa has spent the last two decades volunteering with local conservation organizations, like the Nature Conservancy, where she has volunteered her time and expertise on community outreach events, invasive removal sessions, and advocacy opportunities.

Her latest invasive removal project involves restoring the riparian buffer at Lachat Town Farm at the Juliana Lachat Preserve in Weston.

Sarah Hutchison

Sarah Hutchison is a retired cost engineer with a passion for ecological gardening. She was born in Scotland and moved to the United States in 2001, where she put down roots in the invasive plant community when she participated in the University of Connecticut Extension Master Gardener Program.

Her interest in native plants inspired her to launch the Weston Pollinator Pathway in 2019, leading to her current partnership with Lachat Town Farm and the Weston schools to plant pollinator gardens and remove invasive plants on town property.

Sarah was a member of The Sustainable Weston Committee from 2019-2024, where she focused on increasing education and awareness among town residents about land stewardship practices that support wildlife and protect our natural resources.

Mike Aikenhead

Mike Aikenhead is a passionate educator who has transformed environmental science at Weston High School since joining in 2017. In 2023, he launched Sustainable Solutions, an innovative project-based learning class that empowers students to tackle real-world environmental challenges within the school and local community. Mike was named Weston’s Teacher of the Year that same year and honored as a Connecticut State semi-finalist.

Weston Kiwanis meets most Saturdays from September through June at Norfield Congregational Church parish hall. Doors open at 8 a.m. for coffee and conversation, with the breakfast meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 10 a.m. After breakfast, we have a speaker or community service activity.

Meetings are open to all, drop-ins are welcome, and your first breakfast, $10 for members for a full breakfast or $5 for a continental, is on us.